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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · kick · file · wax · branch · squash · wake · band

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wake — a trail
  7. file — a tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. kick — in football
  10. band — a music group
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. band — a ring
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com